


This is the Beat of My Heart

by voiceoftreas0n



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Awkward Romance, Crushes, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Kidge Week, Kidge Week 2016, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, These two are dorks, cryptid cuties
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-30 12:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10163252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voiceoftreas0n/pseuds/voiceoftreas0n
Summary: So I just realized I have feelings for Pidge. Okay.Keith ran a hand through his hair and breathed out a sigh.The hell am I supposed to do now?





	1. You Can Set Yourself on Fire || Prompt: Burn

**Author's Note:**

> So so so I actually saw 88bulletsart‘s Kidge Week prompts but I really wanted to write for kidgeweek‘s prompts as well so here you go. Super late. I really hope none of you mind! 
> 
> I’ll be writing for both weeks though, so expect a hell of a lot more of my writing! 
> 
> Title derived from This is Gospel by Panic! at the Disco.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge may or may not have accidentally singed herself in one of her technical endeavors but lucky enough Keith was quick to help out.

It was no secret that Keith was the most observant of all the paladins of Voltron, second only to Shiro who somehow managed to pick up on…well, _everything_. The only real difference between the two of them was that the older paladin would rely on this skill when in battle and rarely outside of it. Meanwhile Keith can’t help but notice all the little things in their daily lives.

One of the most obvious was that the Castle of Lions was usually quiet. It wasn’t necessarily dead silent; there was the low rumble of the engine thrumming in just about every corner, a few hushed voices in a room, some muted thuds and whirs coming from the training room and maybe even an undignified squawk coming from Lance somewhere in the castle but they were hardly ever loud enough to disrupt his routine (considering the castle itself was fricking _huge_ ), and in fact he found a little comfort in the ambiance that this mish mash of cacophony made.  

So of course when he hears a high-pitched screech coming from the direction of the hangar one late afternoon, Keith’s first instinct was to break into a sprint in the hall and head straight towards it, bayard already in hand.

The weapon only ended up back in its place by his hip as soon as he saw what was wrong.

“Pidge?”

The said girl looks up with a sheepish smile. “Hey Keith.”

He takes a step closer to where she sat on the floor, right by the leg of her lion. “Something happen? I heard you scream.”

Her face breaks out into a warm flush. “Oh. I just burnt myself while trying to modify Greenie.” She said, holding her hand up, revealing a very red palm. “I was in the underbelly part and I guess I just forgot to detach something? Or maybe it was a sparkplug that I didn’t know about but then again I _would_ have known about it considering I’ve been doing modifications on her for weeks so maybe it could’ve just been something overheating considering I’ve been here for hours –“

“Let me see.” Keith cut off, knowing that once Pidge started rambling there would be no way to stop her. He took a step forward and offered a hand, making sure it was the left one after noting she had burnt her own left hand, and she took it with a small smile.

“Thanks,” she muttered as he pulled her up with ease.

It was in moments like these that Keith is still very much in awe of just how small she really was, judging from how she barely even weighed anything and how he had to tilt his head down to meet her gaze.

“Hand?”

“Oh right.”

She thrusts the limb toward him, and Keith clicked his tongue at the sight of it. It was still a first degree burn, but her hand was inked with a shade of red a lot darker than what he initially thought. “Where’s the first aid kit?”

“Under the work table.” She said, jutting her chin in the direction of the makeshift desk across from them and making a seat out of the oversized box of parts beside her. Keith only nodded, making the short trip and absently grabbing the handles before setting the case beside her.

From this position, her knees were brushing against his hips, though they were finally at eye level. Keith shrugged and opened the kit.

Only to find himself at loss.

_Right. Altean ship. Altean first aid._

Sensing his distress, Pidge chimed in. “The blue spray. And there’s a roll of gauze in the little green box.”

“Okay.” Keith muttered, getting what she asked. He turned his gaze back up at her. “Think you can manage?” he asked, offering the spray bottle.

“I’m left-handed.” She replied simply. “Do you mind? I’ll just instruct you what to do.”

Keith shook his head and grinned. He set the box on Pidge’s lap, using his now free hand to gesture for her injured one. “Come on.”  

She gave it to him without a word, and he gingerly took it in his own.

“Just spray the affected area. That stuff works on every kind of skin abrasion apparently.”

Keith nodded, gently tightening his grip around her.

_The back of her hand is really soft._

He shoved the errant thought and set his mindset to work. “Does this stuff sting?” he asked, pointing the nozzle to her palm. Pidge nodded. “Yeah. Just a little though.”

“Alright then.” He said and without warning, gave her hand a spritz. She jumped and hissed a little at the contact, and Keith fought back a smirk. She only scowled back.

And then her lips cracked into a small grin.

Keith moved to put the bottle back in its place in the kit, unconsciously mirroring the grin himself. He then released her hand to get the box of gauze of her lap, opening it and taking out the roll.

“There’s some scissors in the upper-“

“I got it.” Keith said, unrolling a good amount before reaching for his dagger and making a quick cut, then pocketing it back. From his peripheral he noticed that Pidge was nodding, a little impressed.

“Oh. Okay then.”

He met her gaze with another smirk before taking her hand once more, a little shocked to find it a lighter shade of red than before.

“Yeah, freaked out the first time too.” Her voice cut in with the slightest tone of teasing to it. “Altean medicine really is something else.”

Keith managed a nod before turning back up to look at her. “You sure this still needs dressing?” he asked. “Looks pretty okay to me.”

“Covering the wound will let the medicine do its job most effectively.”

“Ah.” Without another word he set to work, wrapping the gauze around her hand best he can.

Keith worked in silence, and oddly enough it wasn’t the awkward kind of silence he always found himself in when he was with other people, and it felt comfortable.

Right, even.  

In the back of his mind he can hear an excited purr from Red through their bond, a sound that he decided to blatantly ignore.

“So,” Pidge started, almost making him jump. “I know for a fact that you were already gone by the time we tackled basic first aid back in the Garrison. Did you learn from experience?”

“Yeah.” He said, tying the loose ends of gauze into a secure knot. “Did maintenance on my own speeder back home. Overheated parts were the worst.” Keith tugged at the ends one last time before looking up to meet her gaze.

His eyes narrowed before his head cocked to the side. “You tied up your hair.” He stated bluntly, hand instinctively reaching up to pull on the short tail on the side of her head, right behind her ear.

“Y-yeah. I used to keep my hair up like that back when it was longer and it was getting in the way of my working so I thought why not just tie it back, there were some ties in box anyways so I guess I just-“

“It suits you.” He said, finger idly twirling a lock of honey brown hair as he met her gaze.

And it’s in moments like these he _resents_ just how observant he really is.

Pidge only stared back at him wide-eyed, and her cheeks are blooming to a pretty shade of red and he finds himself unable to look away.

He’s also beginning to resent how he rarely ever thinks before acting.

His hand is still tangled in her hair and the other one is still around hers and it feels like his lungs betrayed him and let his breath lodge in his throat, right where a lump was beginning to form as soon as he realized just how _intimate_ their position was.  

Red’s purring returned in full force, this time sounding more encouraging and Keith fought to ignore it.

It’s a losing battle.

He can’t find it in himself to ignore it.

He can’t find it in himself to ignore _her_.

How can he, when he just noticed that her eyes were hazel with flecks of gold or that there were little freckles dotting her nose and cheeks? When he was made alarmingly aware to the flush on her face and the heat that seemed to radiate from her?  

He’s drawn. All these little details were overwhelming his senses, from the sound of her breath to the softness of her hair under his fingertips to the rustic smell of her clothes and he’s now very much aware of the distance between them.

Or rather…

How that distance was slowly getting smaller and smaller.

Her eyes drifted shut.

He followed suit, hand idly still running through her hair until-

“Guys?”

And they pull apart like a shrapnel at the sound of Lance’s voice, as if it was an imaginary explosion totally disproportionate to the distance they made between them.  

Keith coughed to clear his throat and threw his best scowl at the Blue Paladin. “What do _you_ want?”

“I was just gonna call you guys for dinner?” Lance spared a glance at Pidge who suddenly began packing up her tools and other equipment. “Hunk sent me to look for you two.” He said, turning to the two of them quizzically.

Pidge’s voice suddenly cut in.

“You guys go on ahead I just need to clean up a bit.” She said without looking at them, though she only seemed to address Lance.

“Okaaay.” Keith can tell that Lance was very much weirded out but seemed to have bought as much. He turned to him. “Come on, Mullet.”

Keith scowled deeper at the nickname but nonetheless followed.

But not before sparing one last (and not to mention rather long) glance at Pidge.

And it’s in that exact moment she decided to look behind her.

Keith felt the back of his neck and the tips of his ears burn before promptly looking away.

Only to find out that Lance had been watching him the whole time.

He doesn’t like the look on the idiot’s face.

Not. One. Bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title derived from Crazy = Genius by P!atD.


	2. He Senses Something, Call It Desperation || Prompt: Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where in which Keith is sure that he wants to throw Lance into an airlock and hit eject if he opens his stupid mouth one more time. Or maybe just thrown himself in. That works too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place immediately after You Can Set Yourself on Fire. Part 2 of Kidge Week Part 1.

It was common knowledge that Keith had always been on the temperamental side. Always diving headfirst into danger, face in a constant state of scowling, yelling just about every damn day…He was the paladin of the Red Lion for crying out loud, the literal embodiment of impatience, so of course it was expected that he had a short fuse too.

Never did Keith expect that his fuse can get even _shorter_.

Until now, that is.

“Lance, I swear-“

“Uh-uh!” the lankier of the two put his hand up, stopping Keith in his tracks on the way to his room. “Not until you tell me what happened between you and Pidge.”

Keith grit his teeth. “I told you, nothing happened-”

“And I don’t believe you.” He dropped his hand. “That was one heck of a nothing, don’t ya think?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Lance.” He warned with a glare. The other seemed unaffected and prattled on.

“Come on, Keith, I promise I won’t tell!”

“Says the guy with the biggest mouth in the whole ship.” Keith muttered under his breath. He breathed out a sigh.

As soon as they were out of the hangar, Lance had been giving him this look. He wasn’t quite sure if it was a smirk or a smile but it only spelled one thing: _mischief_.

He didn’t drop it the entire duration of dinner, and gave the same look to Pidge as well, alternating between the two of them like watching a deranged ping-pong fan.

At some point Keith met Pidge’s gaze from across the table, and immediately heat crawled up the back of his neck before they promptly looked away, coughing in discomfort. He ended up meeting Lance’s face as he did.

And the _Look_ with a capital ‘L’ split even wider and looked even _more_ mischievous.

And the heat in the back of his neck was replaced with irritation.

As soon as the meal was over, Keith excused himself to head back to his room, most likely to cool off and think about whatever the heck happened between him and Pidge and how to deal with it.

Alone.

Lance didn’t quite share the same train of thought and decided to tag along with him in the hallways with a bombardment of questions.

Hence his current situation.

“Come on, just be honest with me.” Lance put his hand on his shoulder gently, smile dropping its mischief and turning more warm and friendly. “Well?”

Keith bit back another sigh at Lance’s expectant gaze.

He shifted uncomfortably before sighing. “I don’t know.”

Lance’s face twisted in confusion. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I don’t have a clue either!” he snapped, and Lance’s had flew off his shoulder just as fast. For a second the Blue Paladin seemed a little deflated, _hurt_ even, but nonetheless said:

“You guys were really close though.”

Keith shrugged. “It just _happened_.” He moved to lean against the wall behind him, crossing his arms as he did. “She burnt herself while working on Greenie and I helped patch her up and then…” he trailed off, not quite knowing the words to describe what happened after. The closeness. The familiarity. The surrealism of it all.

Lance followed suit but slid down to sit beside his feet, leaning back on the wall as well as he stretched his legs in front of him. “Okay so you really _don’t_ know. That’s cool.” He reached up and tugged Keith by the pant leg, urging him to sit as well. Not really bothering to argue with him anymore, Keith complied, settling down on the floor, knees bent so he could rest his elbows on them.  

“Answer this then,” Lance started, turning to him. “How did it feel?”  

Keith furrowed his brows in response. “Huh?”

“How did it feel?” he repeated, this time gesturing with his hands for emphasis. “You know, being with her like that in that moment?”

The Red Paladin felt his neck burn at the choice of words and looked away. “What the actual quiznack, Lance.”

“Answer me, Keith.”

“Well…” he started, pausing to find the right words. He thought back to that exact moment just about an hour ago and unknowingly smiled to himself.

The feeling…he couldn’t quite describe it. It was warm. Nice. Familiar, even. There was a twinge of embarrassment too, but if he set that aside all he felt was something he could never find the words to describe, only compare it akin to other moments in his life.

Riding on his speeder back on earth, the exhilaration of going past legal speed limits in an endless expanse of desert.

Seeing the view out the cockpit change from an atmosphere of blues and whites to black inked with stars and comets and other celestial beings whenever he launched into space.

Collapsing on his bed after an especially hard day or mission, relishing the softness of the Altean silks under him before falling into sleep that was way better than the dreamless naps he’d fall in back in his cabin in the desert.

Keith shook his head before turning to Lance. “I dunno man, I can’t quite describe it either.” Which was still the truth.

Kind of.

If Lance was disappointed at his answer, he didn’t show it. Instead he prodded on with one last question.

“What do you feel about her, then?”

And in that moment Keith felt air betray his body and choke him.

“ _What_?”

“You heard me.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer the question and I’ll leave you alone.”

Keith scowled, but if it meant that the idiot was gonna let him go back to his room he might as well give him as much. He thought back, recalling every memory he had of her in hopes it could help him piece together an answer Lance wouldn’t bug him about for the next week.

He thought back to the first time her met her, and how he was instantly at awe at just how brilliant she was. Pidge was the kind of smart that terrified him, but at the same time immediately earned her his respect. His thoughts suddenly shifted to their first mental training exercise and how he kept seeing images of a girl with long honey brown hair, then realizing that it had been her the whole time. That legendary food fight and how immediately told her to go loose before flinging a plate of green goo at Allura. The wave of relief that washed over him when she told them she decided to stay with the team with a smile even after he yelled at her for just hours ago.

Then he felt something pull his mind, tethering his conscience to a different set of memories, and it took moment for Keith to realize it was Red communicating through the bond and giving him a flash slideshow of all the little moments they spent together that he easily overlooked.

The times they sparred in the training hall, laughing as soon as one of them managed to take the other down by surprise. The little talks they had in the lounge or in the hangar in the middle of the night when neither of them felt like sleeping just yet. Small, shared smiles whenever they teamed up to make a quip snarky enough to render Lance speechless. How they’d always manage to spare each other a glance just about the same time before heading off into a mission, and immediately greeting each other with an excited high five when they succeeded, and a brief squeeze of her arm when it didn’t. That time he waited hours for her when she was in one of the pods after a particularly bad mission and refusing to leave until she was out, and how she had done the same for him not too long afterwards.

Her rambling and how he could never find it annoying, even if he could barely make sense of half of the words she said. Her smile and how it would make something in his chest jump a little before he started smiling back. Her laugh and how it shot warmth straight into his spine. The determined look on her face whenever she fought, and how it made him want to be stronger too, for the sole purpose of protecting her. The first time he held her in his arms after a mission, even for the briefest of moments, and how he relished in her warmth and wondered how perfectly she fit in between them before reluctantly pulling away.  And then his most recent memory of her, when his breath lodged in his throat and his body moving on its own to be closer.

Closer to her.

And one by one, the pieces clicked together into place.

Lance only grinned as Keith felt his eyes widen little by little.

“Well, Keith?”

The said boy swallowed a lump in his throat.

“She…” and he soon found himself at loss. “I…”

_I love seeing her smile and hearing her laugh._

_I want to hold her in my arms and never let go._

_I would fight entire fleets of Galra if it meant that she’ll never give up looking for her family._

_I want to protect her._

_“I’m in love with her.”_

Keith didn’t realize that he said it out loud until Lance smacked him in the shoulder with a triumphant grin. He shot him a look, but couldn’t quite find it in himself to keep the scowl on his face.

“I knew it.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered back, before slamming the back of his head against the wall behind him, slumping in defeat.

Thankfully Lance kept his stupid mouth shut for a couple of moments so he could just _think_.

_So I just realized I have feelings for Pidge. Okay._

He ran a hand through his hair and breathed out a sigh.

_The hell am I supposed to do now?_

“Pidge reminds me of my own younger sisters.” Lance said suddenly. Keith turned to him, hand returning to its relaxed state over his knees.

“Huh?”

Lance smiled, and this time it wasn’t the look of mischief that sent irritation to throb in his temples, but rather it was a smaller one, full of fondness that warmed Keith’s heart just a little. “I wasn’t the eldest but the ones older than me were already working by the time they were old enough to date, so by default that made _me_ the one giving all the boyfriend talks to any guy the girls would bring home.” He let out a chuckle. “But I didn’t threaten them like what you’d expect any older brother to do. I just you know, talk to them. Get to know stuff other than their name and what my sister would tell me. But I’d always make sure that whatever they felt for my sister was genuine as it could be.” He let out another chuckle. “So yeah, old habits die hard, I guess.”  

Keith didn’t quite know how to respond to that.

Lance just chuckled again. “You practically spilled your heart and guts out to me so I guess it’s only fair for me to do the same.” He stood up, and Keith followed. “We cool?” he asked, holding out his fist.

Keith bumped it with his own and nodded. “Yeah.” He jammed both his hands into his jacket pockets. He gave the other boy a small smile.

So Lance could be a cool sometimes.

A little annoying, yes, but you could trust him.

And suddenly the Look was back on Lance’s face.

_Oh no_.

“I am _so_ telling her.”

And then Lance broke off into a sprint and turned the opposite direction.

Straight to the hangar where Pidge was still obviously working in.  

He takes back what he thought.  

He takes it _all_ back.

“Oh _hell_ no.”

Keith dashes after him and responds the only way he knew how.

He shoves him into the nearby wall by the shoulder as soon as he caught up to him, making the Blue Paladin yelp as he made contact to the metal of the walls, falling to the floor on his ass with a loud thud.

Lance also managed to grab him by the jacket, making both of them fall into an ungraceful heap of limbs on the castle floor.

Keith winced at the impact but he doesn’t regret it.  

Not at all.

“Man, you really _do_ like her.” Lance said after getting up from under him, sitting up and dusting himself off.

Keith just shot him a glare coz _he literally just figured that out himself, leave him the hell alone_.

And suddenly Lance just smiled. “Not to worry, Mullet, your secret’s safe with me.”

The Red Paladin just squinted in response. Lance put a hand up, as if taking an oath. “I promise. I’ll leave the confessing to you and you alone.”

Sighing, Keith relented. “Fine.” He muttered, getting back up. “I’m heading back to my room. Night.”

He barely heard Lance’s reply before turning the corner and entering his room. Keith shrugged off his jacket and hung it in its usual place.

_Like hell I’m gonna confess at this rate_.

He heard Red purr in the back of his mind, and it translated itself as a teasing remark.

_Just because you won’t tell her doesn’t make it any less true._

Keith rolled his eyes, but immediately felt the pleasant heat crawl up the back of his neck.

_I’m in love with her._

He made a quick move of changing out of his boots and jeans to sweatpants before settling himself in bed.

_I’m in love with her_.

Keith rolled to his side, grabbing the nearest pillow to grant himself the luxury of acting like the love-stricken teenager he was by burying his face into it as heat burned scalding in his cheeks, and letting out a groan that was the male equivalent of a high-pitched squeal.

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title derived from Ballad of Mona Lisa by P!atD.


	3. I Know You Need It, Do You Feel It? || Prompt: Competition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little sparring match between Keith and Pidge gets a little out of hand. Lance’s stupid face doesn’t do much help either.

Keith found himself in a dilemma.

Of course, what more would you expect if you just realized (very late, he might add) that you had feelings for one of your closest friends?

Granted that there were many, many factors that brought this on (one of them was a loud mouthed moron and another was some mystical bond that connected their minds and beings along with said moron and two others) but it was still a dilemma nonetheless.

It could endanger the team if she finds out. Or if anyone finds out for that matter.

Voltron was built on trust. That was for certain as soon as he stepped into their lions. Everyone was bonded, physically and spiritually, both to their lions and each other.

If Keith or anyone else on the team started showing signs of hiding things from each other _now_ , it could jeopardize their whole mission altogether.  

It also just made things really, really awkward now that he was fully aware of his feelings.

The hell was he supposed to do now that he knew?

Avoid her? Be nicer and hint towards it? Say it to her face?

An irritating warmth crawled up the back of his neck and he quickly shrugged it off.

He didn’t have the obligation to tell her, per se, but being mystically connected in mind and being kinda put him in a tough spot.

Just the thought of it all brought about enough frustration to make Keith want to rip all of his hair out.

It's early in the morning and what does he do to blow off in alternative to that?

He goes to the training room and takes it out on the gladiator, that's what.

* * *

However, as soon as he steps into the training deck, he realizes just how _badly_ the universe wants to mess with him.

Of course after he's changed and more than ready for a couple of levels with the Altean bucket of bolts Keith found none other than Pidge herself on the training deck, doing stretches and warming up.

Keith never really bothered himself with clothes before, but he knew what Pidge currently had on was different.

Very different. 

More specifically a green tank top with what he deduced to be a black sports bra underneath, and black shorts.

Probably stuff Allura lent her, he figured.

Her hair was also tied up too, in that same side ponytail he had ran his fingers through just the night before, and this, with the addition of her now more...revealing clothing, showed more skin than he ever thought he could have the privilege of seeing.

For starters, her neck was slender, now glistening with sweat out of the effort from the warm ups she was doing. Her arms were toned as well, obviously product from Garrison training coupled with piloting a giant mechanical lion. She may be small, but she had muscle in her system. Made her compact yet agile.

A force to be reckoned with, he mused. His gaze shifted a little lower. 

Another thing was different too.

Her glasses were off. They were lying on the floor not too far from where she stood.

Keith wondered what her eyes looked like up close without them.

He swallowed a lump in his throat as he shoved the errant thought, thankful that Pidge had her back to him as she continued with her dynamic stretching.

And then she suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Keith?"

He lifted a hand in a weak wave. "Hey."

She offered him a small smile. "Hey."

Keith shook his head as he stepped over to her. "Fancy seeing you here."

Pidge only shrugged. "I figured I should learn to pull my own weight. Also Allura has been nagging me to train." She gestured around. "So here I am."

Keith nodded. He should just keep his cool.

Yeah.

He wasn't Lance, so that was something he could do. Keith jutted his chin to the the rubber mat.

“You. Me. Spar.”

Pidge only looked at him incredulously.

“Just like this?” She gestured with her bare hands, obviously referring to the apparent lack of weapons.

He nodded. “You won’t always have your bayard with you, Pidge.”

She thought for a moment. “True.”

Before long he felt himself smirk. “But if it makes you feel any better, you can go and grab yours.” The smirk widened to a teasing grin. “I’ll be fine without mine.”

Was he teasing or was he flirting? He couldn't quite tell.

Nonetheless it brought about an expected reaction. He found himself grinning wider at her scowl as he stepped onto the mat.

"I'll be fine without mine as well." She snapped. “And loser has to do the winner's chores for the next week.” She moved to posture herself in a fighting stance.

"That a challenge, Gunderson?" He asked, shedding off his jacket before getting into position.

"You're on, Kogane."

And she started sprinting towards him, fist up and ready to make contact with his jaw.

Keith didn’t even blink as he dodged her punch with ease.

The thing about sparring was that this was when his attentiveness increased ten-fold.

This wasn't like any other brawl where he had to think on his feet at a life or death risk.

Sparring sessions were for learning, to know where he and his partner fell short in and can consequently improve in. The kind of maneuvers should they pull for whatever situation, moves they could pull should they tag team, and more importantly spars served as time to polish their already existing skills to a brilliant shine.

These were what determined the life-or-death risk in _actual_ fights.

And for this, Keith had to take notice of _everything_.

They could’ve fought for mere seconds or minutes or even hours.

None of that mattered.

There is only Pidge, his eyes intently focused on every movement of her body and what she could possibly do to him and how he could respond. Every punch and kick, every block and dodge, all blurred together to make room for attentiveness for the next, all while stored in the back of his mind for future reference. 

Pidge was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Her small stature combined with agility made her tough to barely even see, and while Keith had more experience under his belt, Pidge was a quick learner and a quicker thinker.

Perfectly fitting for the Green Paladin profile Allura had told them about not too long ago.

Keith narrowly missed a kick to his ribs as he stepped to the side, grabbing her ankle then tossing her back to the mat.

Unfazed, she started back up towards him.

He would be no pushover either.

Not wasting another second, Keith ran towards her head on, bracing himself for the impact of their collision.

If he did this right, she would be at the proper distance for him to wrap his arms around her fast enough to catch her by surprise and pin her to the ground.

Muscled as she was, Pidge still barely weighed anything. That he would use to his advantage.

But of course Pidge saw what was coming.

Instead of aiming a fist or kicking him, Pidge just full on _pounced_ and tackled him to the ground, then shifted so that his arms were pinned under her knees.

The only thing Keith managed to do was freeze and stare.

.

.

.

In all his defense, there he was being straddled by the girl he liked and she had no business looking so damn gorgeous with messy hair, glistening in sweat and panting heavily on top of him.

.

.

.

So yeah.

.

.

.

Staring it is.

“I…got you.” She mumbled, yet the words had no weight of victory or relief.

If anything she was just as dumbstruck as he was.

.

.

.

So Keith just stared.

.

.

.

And stared and stared.

The weight of her on his hips, while barely even noticeable to begin with, was nothing compared to the pressure that sent his heart sprinting in his ribcage, right under where her hands suddenly found themselves resting on over his chest.

She blinked once. Twice.

Her eyes.

They were hazel. Flecked with gold near the irises and looked nothing short of beautiful as they peered down at him.

Keith swallowed a lump in his throat.

And suddenly Pidge moved, and for a split second he thought she was going to get off him.

She had every reason to.

But instead she only lifted her legs so that they no longer rested on top of his arms.

Keith felt his eyes widen.

.

.

.

She didn't want to get off him.

.

.

.

And in that moment he realized he didn't want that either.

.

.

.

Red started purring in the back of his mind.

.

.

.

_You know what you want, though._

.

.

.

He knew it very well. There she was, right on top of him and so damn close without any sign of leaving.

.

.

.

Heat.

.

.

.

Slowly he lifted his hands, taking his time to trail up her thighs and rest on her hips.

.

.

.

There was only heat, and that was all he felt.

.

.

.

"Keith," she whispered.

.

.

.

Not the irritating kind that crept up the back of his neck, or the kind that set his face ablaze with embarrassment.

.

.

.

He slowly moved to sit up.

.

.

.

This bloomed deep in chest, set his bones with warmth that made him move without even thinking about it.

.

.

.

 _You know what you want_ , Red’s voice came again.

.

.

.

There was another feline voice that joined in his conscience.

.

.

.

_She wants it too._

.

.

.

Wait.

.

.

.

Was that _Greenie_?  

.

.

.

What was she doing in his head?

.

.

.

It took a second for Keith to realize the presence and another for him to realize that it didn’t really matter.

.

.

.

Not when he noticed Pidge was leaning down as well.

.

.

.

Not when her hands clutched at his shirt for support, fingers digging spark to the skin underneath.

.

.

.

Not when he flitted his eyes over to her lips and noticed the _want_ in her own eyes.

.

.

And certainly not when whatever space in between them was closing as well.  

.

.

.

“Well look at what we have here.”

The two once again jumped apart at the sound of Lance’s voice, and Pidge quickly scrambled off his lap.  

It was like he was doused in cold water as the heat that pulled all throughout his body escaped in one fell swoop.

Keith shifted to sit up fully to glare at the Blue Paladin. Behind him Hunk looked apologetic, but he also had a knowing smile on his face.

He felt himself blanch.

Eject him. Eject him now. Throw him in a pod, set the course to As Far Away From Here As Possible, don’t bother with return coordinates.

Lance had always known, Hunk knows, Shiro had definitely figured it out for himself.

The mice would know, Coran and Allura know, the whole Voltron Alliance would know.

Hell, for all he cared, even Zarkon would know.

And Pidge would know.

.

.

.

Or maybe she already did.

Lance only smirked at the two.

"Little early for _training_ , don't ya think?" He waggled his brows suggestively at the word training.

Without even looking at each other, Pidge and Keith stood up and headed for opposite exits.

Keith cursed at the sound of Lance's laughter as it echoed throughout the halls.

* * *

 

"Did you really have to interrupt them like that?" Hunk asked as Lance composed himself. "I mean, yeah sure, I didn't want to sit through them making out on the training deck but we could've I don't know, left?"

"Oh, Hunk. My sweet innocent boy." He patted the other boy’s shoulder. "Keith and Pidge are easily riled up. But they both easily get caught up in their own emotions."

Hunk raised a curious brow. "Okay...?"

"So what do you do for two morons too stubborn to admit that they liked each other?"

He thought for a moment. "You wait it out?"

Lance nodded, ecstatic. "Yes, but you also you provoke them."

Panic rose in Hunk’s system. "Where are you going with this?"

"Not to worry, Hunk." Lance grinned at the floor where three little creatures innocently stood by. “Allura and I have everything planned. Isn't that right, little guys?"

Hunk heard a squeak before the mice scurried off.

He fought the urge to slap a palm to his face.  

 _Oh no_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title derived from Victorious by P!ATD
> 
> Also guess who's still stuck with last year's Kidge Week prompts and is currently scrambling to finish them to get to this year's?


	4. Caught in the Way You Caught Me || Prompt: Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Pidge find have no idea where they stand except in apparent awkwardness. 
> 
> Meanwhile, a mission goes successfully accomplished, but not everyone was left without a scratch, so Allura takes it upon herself to have Pidge take care of our resident Red Paladin.

“Well done, everyone!” Allura called as everyone filed back in the main deck. “Another mission accomplished.”

The mission was simple. There was a small Galra base in the current system they were traversing, and after Pidge’s scouting with Green on cloak, they figured a hit and run wouldn’t be too hard of an objective before they move any further. 

It wasn’t all too bad, Keith figured. They did end up having to infiltrate the base itself so Pidge could gather more data, and a firefight and a myriad of explosions later, Team Voltron was victorious without a scratch.

Keith fought back a wince at the sight of his arms.

Well.

Mostly without a scratch.

In the middle of their infiltration Keith may or may not have had a run in a couple of sentries and it may or may not have been a bit of a rough battle.

Not that it mattered anyways. They completed their main objective, he was still alive and Voltron prevailed once more.

Lather, rinse and repeat for the next couple bases until they defeat the entire Galra Empire.

Minor injuries like this shouldn’t really be a major setback.

Shiro was having none of that, though.

Team Leader instinct came in the form of a cybernetic hand on Keith’s shoulder and a worried glance.  

“You doing alright, Keith?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah.”

Allura stepped in beside their leader.

Apparently, she was having none of it, either.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take a few ticks in a pod? That should heal you up if you’re still feeling a little sore.”

He shook his head. “It’s not too bad that it’s unbearable.”

“Well, I suppose you’re right.” Allura swapped her gaze to his knuckles, now obviously bruised almost to the point of bleeding without his gloves. “You still need first-aid, though. I presume you know your way around the medical kits?”

The memory of Altean medicine that clicked was accompanied with flashes of gold-flecked hazel eyes, honey brown hair under his fingertips and heat that bloomed in his chest.

Keith swallowed. “Yeah,”

Shiro noticed his hesitation with a raised brow and questioning silence. His peripheral showed glimpses of Lance and Hunk messing around and talking with Coran.

So they haven’t divulged anything.

Good.

That was good.

Allura clicked her tongue. “I don’t think that would do.” She hummed in thought before turning her head to the side. “Pidge?”

_Oh no._

The said girl’s voice was distracted as she answered. “Yes?”

Keith turned his line of vision to her, finding that she was busy inputting her newly gathered data to her laptop. She typed in a few commands before shutting it closed and standing up.

“You need me for something, Princess?”

“See to it that Keith’s injuries are tended to. You know where everything is in the medical bay, yes?”

Slowly, Pidge nodded. “Yeah.”

Allura made a _shoo_ motion with her hands. “Off you two go. We can handle things here for the time being.” were her last words before she went back to her control panel. 

Shiro still hadn’t dropped his questioning gaze until he sighed. “You’re in good hands, Keith.”

He believed the sentiment almost whole-heartedly.

 _Almost_ because dread still pulled in his stomach in a wrenching twist.  

* * *

Their walk to the med bay was spent in complete silence.

Not that it was an issue, really.

Well, at least, _before_ it wasn’t an issue.

But now…

Their footsteps were the only noise between them. Neither of them even dared to even _breathe_ too loudly. 

Keith attempted to spare his teammate a glance.

.

.

.

At this, she turned to him as well.

.

.

.

And, in a span of time less than enough for one to blink, they both promptly looked away.

.

.

.

The two of them haven’t exactly spoken since they last… _trained._

They haven’t even so much as have been alone together.

Hell, even before they left for the mission, gone were the reassuring glances and high fives when they returned.  

Nowadays the most interaction they had were some furtive glances from across the room coupled with looking away flush-faced as soon as the other noticed.

Keith sighed.

 _Before_ meant a lot of things, apparently.

Like before the training session.

Or before Lance pried into his personal life and made him fully aware of his feelings.  

Or before he heard Pidge scream from across the hall and patched up her burn.

Or basically just before they crossed the threshold between their usual companionship to whatever they stood now.

Keith didn’t even know when or where that threshold even _was_.

* * *

The door to the infirmary let out a soft hiss as it slid open.

“Just take a seat on the bed. I’ll look for the supplies.”

Keith almost flinched at the sound of Pidge’s voice.

He wasn’t expecting her to talk as soon as they got in.

Or for her to talk at all.

Wordlessly, Keith nodded and did as she asked, the sheets rustling as he occupied the edge of the nearest bed and took off his jacket. 

Pidge returned a beat later with rolls of gauze and the same blue spray from all those days ago. 

“Altean healthcare is pretty effective, huh?”

A weak attempt at conversation.

But still an attempt, nonetheless.

Keith nodded. “Yeah. Wouldn’t be surprised if Alteans could live for ten thousand years without being in cryosleep.”

Pidge let out a chuckle, just a heavier puff of air with a muted sound escaping her lips.

It did nothing to uncoil the twisting in his gut.

“So what happened to you anyways?” she asked, stepping closer to him. She set the supplies on the side table and slid it closer to her.

“Run in some sentries. Dropped my bayard so I had to finish barehanded.”

“So I guess you were right about not always having your bayard with you, huh?” she teased as she gingerly took one of his hands in her own.

He distinctly remembers the conversation that played out before they-

Keith his face heat.

Yeah.

Before _that_.

“Though that doesn’t explain these.” Pidge’s voice came again, gesturing to the patches of discolored skin of his arms with her free hand before using it to reach for the medical spray.

“One of the sentries caught me off guard and slammed me into a wall. My arms got the brunt of the force.”

“ _You_? Caught off _guard_?” she let out a snort as she adjusted her grip on the spray bottle. “As your fellow Arm of Voltron, I am ashamed of you.”

He threw her a scowl in response.

She all but flashed him her usual half-grin-half-smirk, a crooked and lopsided pull of her lips before she suddenly gave his wounds a quick spray.

The sting wasn’t so much painful as it was startling.

 _“Jesus Christ, Pidge”_ the curses tumbled out of his mouth when he flinched.

Pidge is still grinning at him. “Consider that payback for last time.” She gave his other hand a spritz.  

_Last time?_

_._

_._

_._

Oh.

“Thought you’d be more alert since you got caught off guard once.” Pidge mused as she set the bottle to the table and reached for the gauze. Keith looked down to his hands to find his hands back to their normal color, feeling the medicine do its job of slowly stitching back torn tissue.

“Didn’t think you’d get caught off guard again.”

“Shut up, Pidge.”

Keith wanted to scowl at the jab but couldn’t quite find it in himself to.

Pidge was teasing him like old times.  

At least they were back to some form of normalcy, right?

_._

_._

_._

_But then again._

.

.

.

He watched as she carefully tied the gauze around one hand before moving to the next.   

Their position is familiar. Keith is seated on the hospice bed with his knees dangling off the edge, with Pidge standing in between them so she could tend to his injuries.

She obviously didn’t see the similarity.

Or rather, she elected to ignore it and carry on with her task.

Her method of approach to normalcy involved dismissing whatever happened between them altogether felt less normal and only put a sour taste in his mouth.

“There,” Pidge said, tying off the last knot of gauze.

Keith felt irritation crawl up his neck.

Though he wasn’t quite sure if it was irritation or just disappointment.   

Maybe the latter.

The latter because last time – _before_ \- he remembered his hand making his way into her hair and their breaths mingling.

He remembered hazel eyes blinking at him in disbelief, flushed faces and warmth crawling up the back of his neck, not irritation or awkwardness, as the distance between them dissipated.

The feeling must’ve shown on his face when he noticed Pidge raise a brow.

“What, did you want me to kiss it better for good luck?”

The words must’ve left her mouth before she even realized it. Her hand reached up to cover her lips, eyes blown wide.

The statement has them both reddened.

.

.

.   

And by the force of whatever mystical bond that created Voltron, Red chose _now_ to be involved.

_._

_._

_._

_Now’s your chance._

.

.

.

The position is nothing short of familiar, after all.  

.

.

.

And the closeness, the surrealism of it all was even more so.

Testing the boundaries, Keith asked, “Would you have?”

Pidge blinked before lowering her hand from her mouth to fiddle with the neck of her sweater. Her eyes are directed anywhere but his general direction.

He didn’t miss the quick swipe of her lips with her tongue. She swallowed.

“If you wanted me to.” 

“And if right now I said yes?”

Pidge finally met his eyes. His heart jumped against his ribcage.

“Do you mean that hypothetically or is that you actually saying yes?”

.

.

.

She was testing and wary of the boundaries as well.

Slowly, he nodded. “I’m saying yes.”

His heart did less jumping and something more akin to _flying_ within the confines of his chest when Pidge lifted her hand off her collar to take his now bandaged hands in hers.  

Not breaking eye contact, she slowly raised their joined hands to her mouth.

All time slowed when her lips briefly made contact with the gauze and skin.

The twisting in his gut has not only unraveled but has left completely, replaced by a steady thrum he believed has resonated from his heart down to his gut to the bones under his skin in a comforting rhythm.

He felt her smile against his hand before dropping it and repeating the gesture with the other.

Oddly enough, Red didn’t say a word.

She didn’t purr in the back of Keith’s mind neither did she cheer him on.

Because she knew he’d want this moment all to himself.

Keith gently pried his hands out of hers to reach for her cheek.

He didn’t miss the panic in her eyes that followed as if she had done something wrong, and the way she immediately relaxed under his touch.

They can’t look away.

The moment, in all its familiarity, has them focused only on each other.

There was heat, but it wasn’t like a furnace under their skin, the kind that left them startlingly aware of the need to have each other closer.

It’s more of a tender warmth, soothing and steady, reminding them that they were here, that this was real, and that there is nothing to regret.

Grounding them to each other.  

Keith thinks _they_ and _them_ because he knew she felt the same way.

Like all the times before.

He was sure of that now.  

Keith gave her a smile as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.

She smiled back, her hand resting on his free one on his lap.

But this time, they don’t inch closer.

They only revel in the given intimacy, because for now, that was enough.   

Because the moment, if it were similar to any others they’ve shared before, was bound to end the same way.

In rude interruption.

So they waited.

.

.

.

And as if on cue, Allura’s voice boomed from the intercom.

.

.

.

“ _Keith, Pidge, I’ll need you back on the main deck for our wormhole jump.”_

They both turn to the voice with tilted chins before meeting each other’s gaze once more.

The warmth didn’t fizzle out. Instead, it only flickered and remained, still burning and still grounding them to each other.

“We should go now,” Pidge said.

Keith was quick to agree. “Yeah.”

And just like that, she stepped away from him to put back the medical supplies and he stood up to shrug his jacket and back on.

* * *

They were barely two steps away from the med bay’s door when Pidge tentatively reached for his hand.

She didn’t look at him, but neither did he.

Smiling, Keith entwined their fingers together, giving her hand a small squeeze.

There was no missing the grin forming on her face as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Titled derived from Girls/Girls/Boys by P!ATD 
> 
> In other news, I am on a roll. Currently juggling other works with this puppy so I can't really say when I'll have the next chapter up. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! 
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out my prompt fill story for Kidge Week 2016 Days 4 and 5? ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10809840/chapters/23982126)  
> [Follow me on tumblr? ](http://hearmyvoiceoftreason.tumblr.com/)


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